Tissue packages



Feb. 13, 1962 Reyna/d5 Gag er ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1962 Filed Sept. 10, 1959 R- GUYER TISSUE PACKAGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 3.9 34% y /W 1Q 4 A 49 42 E (Z Q INVENTOR Reyna/o: Gag/Pr P? QWE$L ATTORNEY 3,@Zl,ilii2 Patented Feb. 13, 1952 3,021,002 TldSUE PACKAGE Reynoids Gnyer, Peninsula Road, White Bear Lake, Minn. Filed dept. it 1959, Ser, No. 839,261 2 tClairns. (Cl. Edd-57) This invention relates to an improvement in tissue packages and deals particularly with a closed carton capable of containing a stack of folded tissues or the like and in providing a means of opening the carton so that the tissues may be readily dispensed.

Tissue packages have been produced embodying removable sections, usually in the top panel, which may be detached from the remainder of the carton in order to provide access to the interior thereof. For the most part, these cartons are either diificult to open without the use of a knife or else open so easily that they open accidentally during transportation and handling. Once the removable panel of such a carton becomes partially detached before it is sold to the ultimate consumer, they usually cannot be sold and must be returned to the producer as purchasers will not buy partially opened packages for fear a part of the contents has become contaminated or has been removed. In order to prevent accidental disengagement of the removable sections, the perforations usually defining such openings are spaced apart to prevent a weakening of the carton top. As a result, the removable portion is very diflicult to open and often cannot be removed without a knife or similar instrument.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton for tissues and the like having a removable portion in the upper panel which permits the uppermost tissue to be easily removed or which may permit a number of tissues to be simultaneously removed. Tissue cartons have most normally been provided with openings extending across the center portion of the top panel, the opening usually terminating short of the end or side walls of the carton. Openings of this type permit the uppermost tissue to be readily removed and often times is arranged to hold a portion of the uppermost tissue in partially dispensed position. However, the tissues must be removed one at a time, and if for one reason or another it is desired to remove a series of tissues simultaneously, this cannot be readily done. It is a feature of the present invention that the opening extends directly to the front wall of the carton so that the thumb or fingers may be inserted along side of the superimposed tissues by flexing the front wall outwardly to some extent or flexing the tissues inwardly to some extent so that any desred number of the tissues contained may be removed.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the novel shape or outline of the opening which permits the removable or hinged part of the top panel to be torn away from the remainder of the top panel by merely exerting an upward pull upon the flap or flange at one edge of the removable portion and overlying the front panel of the carton. The weakened lines of separation which define the opening extend upwardly through the glue flap which overlies the outer surface of the front wall'and then weakened lines which define opposite sides of the removable portion diverge apart toward the ends of the top panel, curve to form the ends of the opening, and converge together toward the rear wall of the carton. With this shape of opening, the separable portion may tear out smoothly and evenly along its opposed weakened lines so that no knife or other cutting instrument need be employed.

It is a further feature of the present invention that the removable portion of the top panel is connected to the remainder of the panel along a perforated line which may form either a hinge line or may form a weakened line for entirely removing the removable portion. It has been found that in some cases the users of the tissues prefer to reclose the package after it has been opened to keep the tissues from becoming soiled. Other persons object to having to open the carton each time a tissue is removed, and such persons actually prefer to tear off the removable portion along the dotted line so that the top of the carton is permanently opened.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton having a panel provided with a removable or partially removable portion defined by opposite weakened lines of separation, these weakened lines being formed by providing" two out score lines arranged in parallel relation and extending into the paper board from opposite surfaces thereof. The cut score lines which extend into the under-surface of the sheet are inwardly of the score lines which are in the outer surface of the sheet. Accordingly as the paper board splits upon the opening of the carton, a ledge is formed on which the removable portion may rest when the carton is reclosed. V

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton which may be easily opened; A glue flap is hingedly connected to the top panel and overlies the front wall of the carton. A-part of the upper edge of the front wall is printed or otherwise coated to tend to repel ink. As a result, one portion of the glue flap is rather insecurely adhered, this insecurely adhered portion being intermediate the ends of the glue flap. Cut lines extending almost entirely through the glue flap extend across the glue flap on opposite sides of the insecurely adhered area. It has been found that by pressing inwardly on the carton front wall beneath this insecurely adhered portion, the front wall may be pulled away from the portion of the glue flap between the cut lines thus providing a flap which may be easily grasped in the fingers. This flap may be grasped for exerting an upward pull upon the portion of the top panel defined by the weakened lines of separation to open the carton.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tissue carton showing the carton in closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the carton in open position.

FIGURE 3 is a greatly enlarged sectional view through a portion of the removable part of the carton shown in FIGURES l and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

The tissue carton is indicated in general by the latter A. The carton includes a front wall It), a bottom wall 11, a rear wall 12, and a top wall 13 hingedly connected together along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16 respectively. A glue flap 17 is foldably connected to the top wall 13 along a fold line 19.

End closing flaps are hingedly connected to opposite ends of the walls 10, 11, 12, and 13. Flaps 20, 21, 22, and 23 are hingedly connected to one end of the panels it 11, 12, and 13 along acommon line of fold 24. Closing flaps 25, 26, 27 and 29 are foldably connected to the walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 along a common line of told 30. A potential opening is formed in the top panel 13 by means of a flap 31 which may either be hingedly connected to the top wall panel or may be entirely removed. The flap 31 is connected to the top wall 13 along a perforated line 32 which is in spaced parallel a,ea1,002

relation to the fold line 16 which forms the rear edge of the top panel and is closer to this rear edge than to the front edge defined by the fold line 19. Weakened lines of separation extend across the top panel from each end of the perforated line 32 to the fold line 19. These weakened lines are formed by outer score lines extending partially through the paper board from the upper surface thereof and inner score lines which extend upwardly into the paperboard from the under surface thereof. The outer score lines include portions 33 which diverge toward the ends of the top panel from the ends of the perforated line 32 to a point substantially spaced from the fold lines 24 and 36. Diverging score portions 33 are reversely curved as indicated at 34 to form the ends of a generally oval flap 31. From the reversely curved portions 34, the outer score lines include converging portions 35 which curve into substantially parallel relation as indicated at 36 at their juncture with the fold line 19. Short cut lines 37 extend substantially half way across the glue flap 17 from the ends of the score lines 36 and short inwardly curved cut lines 39 extend to, or in very close relation to, the end of the blank. The cut lines 37 and 39 are slightly spaced to provide solid connecting portions therebetween which must be broken when the carton is open. The portion between the cut lines 37, 39 on opposite sides of the center of the carton form a flap or flange 40 which may be engaged for opening the carton in a manner which will be later described.

The inner fold lines are substantially parallel to the outer score lines and include outwardly diverging portions 41 adjoining the perforated line 32, reversely curved portions 42 inwardly of the curved portions 34, and converging portions 43 inwardly of the portions 35. The ends of the converging portions 43 are curved toward the curved portions 36 until they extend in directly opposed relation thereto forming a cut line entirely through the paper board.

A portion of the front wall panel along the edge of the blank which forms the upper edge of the front wall is printed or coated as indicated at 45 to provide spaced open areas 46 to which adhesive will adhere, the adhesive being repelled by the coating 45. The coated area 45 underlies the flap 40 between the cut lines 37, 39 on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the glue flaps 17. As a result of this arrangement, the flap portion 49 is not securely adhered to the front wall and may be readily easily removed therefrom.

The carton is folded into tubular form with the glue flap 17 overlying the outer surface of the front wall 10. The carton is filled and the opposed flaps and 22 are folded down into a common plane. The remaining flaps 21 and 23 are then folded down to overlie the flaps 20 and 22 and be adhered thereto. At the other end of the carton, the flaps and 27 are folded down on to a common plane and the flaps 26 and 29 are folded to overlie these first folded flaps and are adhered thereto to form an end closure.

When it is desired to open the carton, a fingernail is inserted between the flap 40 and this flap pulled outwardly. However, as a preferred way of opening the carton, inward pressure is applied to the front wall panel 10, immediately below the flap 40. This causes the front wall 10 to bow inwardly and the insecurely adhered flap 40 actually breaks away from the front panel 10 so that it may be easily grasped with the fingers.

The flap 40 is pulled upwardly and the paper board will split between the inner and outer score lines in opposite surfaces of the paper board. As the flap 10 is pulled upwardly, the weakened lines gradually tear apart between the converging portions and 43, then along the conversely curved portions 34, 42 and then along the diverging portions 33, 41 until the fiap or removable portion 31 remains attached to the top panel 13 only along the perforated line 32. If it is desired to provide a reclosure, the flap 31 remains connected along the perforated line 32, this line forming a fold line so that the flap can be folded back to reveal the contents of the carton. When the flap 31 is closed, the flap 40 may, if desired, tuck inwardly of the front wall 10. At this time, it will be noted that the paper stock between the inner and outer cut score lines forms opposed ledges indicated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings by the numeral 49 upon which the marginal portions of the flap 31 may rest. Thus the flap 31 will not push downwardly into the carton unless forced downwardly with considerable pressure.

One of the secrets of the success of the construction lies in the fact that the ends of the cut score lines curve togethe: to be in opposed relation at the point where the tear is started. As a result of this construction, the ledges 49 taper in width at their forward extremities as is indicated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. In accordance with the patent statutes 1 have described the principles of construction and operation of my tissue carton, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A tissue carton including a tubular body of paperboard including a front wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a top wall foldably connected together, a front flap hingedly connected to the forward edge of said top wall and secured outwardly of the upper portion of said front wall, a potential cover flap forming a part of said top wall and being defined by two weakened lines of separation extending across said front flap in spaced relation diverging toward the ends of the top wall, curving along arcs spaced from the ends of the top wall, and converging toward the rear edge of the top wall, the ends of said weakened lines terminating short of the rear edge of said top wall and being connected by a fold line parallel to the lines of fold connecting said walls.

2. A tissue carton including a tubular body of paperboard including a front wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall, a top wall, and a front flap overlapping said front wall and secured thereto, said walls being foldably connected together, an opening flap hingedly connected to the top panel along a line of fold spaced from, and parallel to, the line of fold connecting said top and rear walls, said opening flap being defined by weakened lines of separation extending from the ends of said first named line of fold across said top panel and said front flap, the portions of the weakened lines in said top wall each being formed of side by side cut lines extending partially through the paperboard from opposite surfaces thereof, the cut lines converging together at the fold line connecting said top wall to said front flaps, and the portions of said weakened lines in said front flap comprising perforated lines extending across said front flap from the points of convergence of said out lines.

References (fited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,346,488 I-Iofimaster et al. Apr. 11, 1944 2,608,341 Eckman Aug. 26, 1952 2,706,076 Guyer Apr. 12, 1955 2,919,020 McCleary Dec. 29, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 35,515 Norway Aug. 7, 1922 

